


Captus est

by Stefanyeah



Category: Muse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 01:48:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stefanyeah/pseuds/Stefanyeah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Tale of a Vampire, his Master, Hunters and Talking Dogs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captus est

**Author's Note:**

> **Betas:** numberoneuno from LJ  
>  **Disclaimer:** I‘m sure all of us are aware that the events playing out in this piece of writing are untrue, never happened, most likely never will happen. I‘m pretty sure we all know that the other is perfectly aware of this fact. We just accept it for the sake of this story as temporary truth. Which turns the words beneath the cut into fiction.
> 
> I don‘t own Muse or other publicly recognisable characters, the plot however is mine.
> 
>  **Author‘s Notes:** You wouldn‘t guess what happened. Another re-write of this chapter. Yay!
> 
> I had grown majorly unsatisfied with the character development in this one. So I started to re-write the chapter from scrap, went back to check on a few things and almost got a heart attack at how _badly written_ chapter one was. No, really, please, don‘t ever read that one again. *shudders*
> 
> I won‘t be re-writing all of this story. Maybe I‘ll pick random chapters, maybe I‘ll continue where I left off, maybe I‘ll do both. :P
> 
> So yeah, here we are again, right at the start of my vampire epic. Enjoy this improved, and longer, version of Chapter One.

**Captus est**  
Latin: Trapped, Caught, Captivated

 

She pressed herself against the wall, eyes moving from one man to the other. She cursed under her breath. Why did she feel the need to find short cuts through a shady neighbourhood in a new city? When the tallest of them had approached her, she had shook her head and walked on. The man had followed her, though, and she had moved into an alleyway to escape.

This had proven to be a bad decision as it turned out that three of his mates waited for them right in said alleyway.

“C'mon, Foxy,” the first man drawled and flicked his hand, revealing something slim and silver, resembling the handle of a blade. With another flick of his wrist, the handle split to reveal the blade itself. “I'm sure a foxy little red head such as you has a few valuable jewels on you.”

“We also take smartphones and cash,” the man next to him giggled.

She shook her head. “No, please, just let me pass.”

“Sure we can let you pass,” the first man sneered and pressed himself closer, his breath hitting against her mouth. She pressed her lips together and shrunk further into the wall. “Just pay us, and we’ll let you pass.”

“Leave her alone,” a new voice drawled. She gasped. Was someone coming to her rescue? The voice had a somewhat bored quality however, lacking the righteous anger one would expect from a saviour in a situation as this.

She craned her neck to see the speaker. What she saw was a man in a black coat over a white shirt and white trousers, black hair sticking up from his head and a long, white scarf hanging from his neck. He didn't look like someone who would dare to be seen in an area like this, she thought. Nor did he look like someone who'd stand a chance against four thugs.

“Who do you think you are?” the man that had first approached her growled. He took a step forward and pushed the smaller man against the opposite wall, holding him in place by one of his coat lapels.

The raider lifted his hand and flicked his wrist, letting the blade disappear between the handle and re-appear again. The stranger watched the show with an air of fascination.

“Oh, a balisong,” he eventually spoke. “It has been a while since I saw one of those. Might be due to the fact that balisongs were banned ten years ago in this country. Can you actually use this one? I heard they are difficult to handle and if cheap also rather unreliable.” He shrugged before continuing, “I would not know. I never felt the need for weapons.”

“What kind of freak are you?” the raider growled and pushed harder against the stranger's chest.

The stranger sneered at the taller man and turned his head, his voice taking on a whiny quality. “I am hungry, Dominic.”

She craned her head to follow the stranger's eyes and saw another man standing just outside the light of the lamp. She couldn't make out too much of him, but he seemed to be blond.

“No way,“ the other man answered. “Chris will go ballistic.”

“Just a bit,” the dark-haired stranger whined. “It would surely be no loss to anybody.”

“Matthew, you know I won't allow you to…”

“Stop ignoring us, you bloody punks!”

 

A few streets further away, a tall man and his black dog were roaming the streets. Hands buried in his coat pockets, he kicked at a stone. He was about to suggest a change of location to his dog when he heard screaming.

Frowning, the man looked in the direction of the screams. “I hope it's not that wretched vampire causing trouble again,” he growled.

“What do you expect?” the dog retorted. He sighed, huge amber eyes staring into the direction of the screams. “We're talking about Matthew Bellamy here. I'd be worried about him if he wasn’t causing trouble.”

“We should hurry,” the man sighed and sped up just when three men emerged from a small alleyway and rushed past man and dog.

They stopped when they reached the alleyway, staring at the scene in front of them. A young, red-haired woman was huddled against the wall of a house, staring straight ahead at two men, the taller of them pressed against a house wall by the smaller man. His face was buried in the throat of the former raider.

The newcomer growled and turned his head towards Dominic, narrowing his eyes.

Dominic sighed. “Matthew, enough. Leave him.”

Mewling his disagreement, Matthew removed his face from the raider's neck and turned to face the newcomer. He pointed at his chest. Huge, red stains covered the left side of his chest. “He stabbed me, Wolstenholme,” Matthew drawled. He wiped his hand over his mouth and looked down at it. Smirking, he lifted the palm of his hand and licked the bloodstains from it.

His eyes fell on the woman and he bared his teeth, showing off his pointed canines that were still stained with blood. He turned and nodded at Dominic before disappearing onto the main road, buttoning up his coat.

“You know I won't forbid him to defend himself or to save his life, Chris,” Dominic said.

“He's dead, he never had a life,” Chris growled.

Dominic shrugged. “I won't change my mind, and you know that. Besides, he's still alive.” Dominic jerked his head into the direction of the raider. The man emitted ragged breathes interspersed with weak groans. “You should call the ambulance before he isn't anymore.”

Chris narrowed his eyes, but pulled his phone from his coat pocket. “Fine, you take care of her.”

Dominic nodded and turned to the woman. She was staring at the rattling raider and only looked up when Dominic's shadow crossed her sight. “He's…” She pointed at the raider and then towards the main road where Matthew had vanished. “He's a vampire.”

Dominic nodded. “He is. Are you okay, though?”

She turned her head to look at him. “There's no such thing as vampires.”

“I thought so, too, not long ago. Turned out I was wrong,” Dominic answered. “Are you okay, though?” he repeated his question. “We're just calling an ambulance. We can also call the police if you want to report those thugs.”

“You'd let me report what happened to the police?” she asked. “Even with…” she gesticulated towards the main street and then shook her head. “No, thanks, I pass on being treated like a madwoman claiming to be saved by a vampire.”

Dominic offered a smile. “Wise decision. You’d better get home before the ambulance arrives in that case.”

She nodded.

“And stay on the main streets until you're out of this neighbourhood.”

She snorted and turned to leave. “Of course, I'm cured for life of small alleyways.”

Dominic sighed and watched her walk away. Maybe he should have accompanied her further, at least until she was out of this neighbourhood.

“Let's leave, too,” the dog growled. “I don't fancy the hullabaloo that will erupt once the ambulance and police arrive.”

 

Matthew walked through the streets of the city. He looked up at the sky, the stars barely visible. It may have been a century since he was in a big city and still able to see the vast pattern of stars. He had witnessed civilisation evolve into complicated networks. Inventions and technology had long since taken over human life and anything natural that had once dictated their actions had been purged. At least that was what they so obviously thought.

He sighed and moved into a smaller street. The first warm nights lured more humans out of their houses and the streets were livelier than just a few nights ago. It was annoying, how loud they were, even when just talking in pairs. He glanced at the closest street lamp and picked up a stone, throwing it at the light bulb.

A tiny piece of darkness spread with a most satisfying clatter of glass.

Matthew decided, that it had been too long since he had been able to just enjoy a warm spring night…

 

_  
He was running, trying to escape whatever was following him. He had first seen the strange figure in the shadows a few streets ago. He had stared and frowned, wondering why a lone man in a black coat would cause him to shudder, just when said man bared his teeth at him._

_He shivered and fell to his knees. He had seen pointed teeth and glowing red eyes and had run hard. Now he had ended up in some backyard he had never seen before._

_He looked around. At least he was alone._

_He fell to the ground, his knees too wobbly to support him all of a sudden. He listened to make sure that there was nothing with him, some kind of noise that would give away the monster chasing him._

_Nothing…_

_Daring to exhale, he tried to back-trace the streets and alleyways he had run through. He shook his head. He was lost. At least there were no red-eyed monsters chasing him…_

_He pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned at the low battery. Hopefully, it would still be able to lead him to the next station so he could find his way home. He had just enabled GPS when he felt a cold gust in his nape._

_“Ready to be my meal, Blondie?”_

_He froze. This couldn't be._

_Another soft gust of wind, the sound of breath being taken in. “You smell delicious,” the creature drawled._

_He shook his head. Maybe he should ring the police, maybe that would stop the creature. But his fingers wouldn't move. He gripped the phone tightly while staring straight ahead. Even the touch of two, wet and cold canines on his neck didn't spur him into action._

_There was nowhere to run anyway. The only escape route lay behind him, and that was where this monster stood. He closed his eyes, hoping it would at least be quick and painless._

_The expected prick of canines breaking through skin never came, though. Instead, a shrill shriek came from behind._

_He turned to find his attacker standing behind him. Another man had appeared, smaller and almost fragile looking. The newcomer's hand was buried in the monster's hair, pulling the head back and forcing the monster into a back-bend position._

_“What the fuck are you doing?” he screeched. “Even you can't behave like this! Stealing another vampire's food. I won't keep silent about this!”_

_The smaller man hissed and bared his teeth, revealing two extended canines. “I am sure thou will remainest silent, Delzer.”_

_The vampire addressed as Delzer screamed and tried to yank free, but the other vampire reached up with his free hand and pressed Delzer's jaw up, forcing him to lean back even further. Without another word, the small vampire gashed his teeth into Delzer's throat._

_Delzer screeched and reached behind himself, batting his hands at the vampire that sucked his blood. His attempts were just ignored and within a few moments Delzer was nothing more than a gaunt, empty leathery bag resembling a human form._

_The empty skin fell to the ground in front of the young man. He stared at it and shook his head. Slowly, he moved his head to look at his saviour, wondering if he would now be killed by this new monster._

_The vampire stared down at the boy he had just saved, cold blue eyes framed by black hair, before turning and leaving the small alleyway._

_“Hey!”  
_

 

“Hey!”

Matthew stopped and turned towards the source of this most recent annoyance. He sneered. Bloody fledgling vampires. Always had to learn the hard way.

“The lapdog,” the fledgling drawled. Matthew looked down at her and wrinkled his nose. While he was bordering on flamboyant on his best nights, these young vampires nowadays were just so _stereotypical_. Black corset, short skirts, high boots and a plethora of frills and ribbons.

“All alone and on your own?” she continued. “Has Blondie let you off the leash tonight?”

Matthew bared his teeth at her and turned away. Right now he couldn't be bothered to be faced with another confrontation. What was wrong with wanting a moment of solitude these days?

“That means he's unprotected right now,” the fledgling quipped. “Aren't you neglecting your duty as his little guard dog by leaving him walking the streets alone?”

With another growl, Matthew turned and pushed his claws into her chest. He pulled her heart out and threw it into the gutter before she had the chance to even scream. “No one dares to threaten Dominic,” he growled at her crumbling form before turning away.

 

_  
He had started stalking the boy a few weeks ago. The first days after the incident, he had tried to forget the blond boy. Saving a puny human had just been a random vagary, a whim that even he wasn't immune against. But he had felt a strange pull towards the boy, and without even realising what he was doing, Matthew had found himself following him._

_After the second night of following the boy, scoffing at his lack of survival instinct and carelessness even after being chased by a monster, Matthew decided he had to end this infatuation. He had seen those happen in other vampires, had watched them growing into obsession and eventually into the demise of the vampire. Matthew would not become one of those fools._

_Thus it was time to end this infatuation before it became obsession. And no one was better at ending things than Matthew Bellamy._

_And still, three weeks after deciding to end this, he was still stalking the boy each night. He left his hideaway at dawn, found something to nourish on and set about following the boy from university, to the shops and cinemas and eventually home._

_But each time he tried to approach the boy, intent on killing him, the dull niggling feeling that always lingered in the back of his head pushed itself into his attention and nausea threatened to render him sick. He had spent nights, sitting on the roof of the boy's apartment house, coughing and retching and feeling the most pathetic he had ever felt._

_And thus, on the 23rd night after saving that boy, Matthew found himself perched on the window sill and knocking at the window._

_The boy started and looked up from his desktop. He looked around and noticed Matthew on the window sill. Matthew knocked again, motioning for the boy to open the window._

_The boy looked at the door and back to the window, hesitating before finally rising from the chair and walking over to the window. He opened it a fraction._

_“What do you want?”_

__Kill you. __

_“Let me in,” Matthew answered instead._

_The boy looked back at the door of his room for a moment before directing his attention back to Matthew. “Why should I? How could I trust you? You're just another monster.”_

_Matthew sneered. “I could have killed you several times during the previous 24 nights,” he hissed. How did that puny human dare to call him monster when all Matthew had done was save him. Matthew growled. He had never cared for people's opinions of him, revelling in the reputation of being a cold-blooded, violent monster. “And this little silver cross you are hiding beneath your shirt will not stop me either.” He pushed against the window to open it further, careful not to enter the room just yet. “It could stop a weak fledgling, but not me.”_

_“Then why ask to be let in, oh mighty vampire?”_

_Matthew narrowed his eyes at the boy. He would tear that wretched louse apart. “In case you have not noticed yet,” Matthew snarled. “I am a vampire, even I am bound to certain rules.”_

_The boy kept silent and pushed the window further towards it‘s frame again._

_“I need permission to enter inhabited rooms,” Matthew answered before the boy could close the window fully. “Just give me permission for your room, I will not be able to enter the rest of the house.”_

_“What do you want in my room?”_

_“Just let me in,” Matthew retorted._

_“No, I don't trust you. You could be planning anything.”_

_“I told you before, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it days ago,” Matthew growled. The boy's eyes widened and he would have closed the window if it wasn't for Matthew's hand against the glass. Matthew hissed and pulled his hand back outside, flexing his fingers to diffuse the sharp burn in his hand. “I promise not to harm you.”_

_The boy stared at him, his eyes falling on the hand that had stopped the window from being closed. Matthew followed the boy's eyes. Even the short moment inside the room had caused blisters to appear on his skin. He looked up at the boy again. “Let me in?”  
_

 

Dominic sat in the library and tried to concentrate on the books he had picked up to prepare for his seminar on Beowulf in the afternoon. He pressed thumb and index finger of his left hand against the bridge of his nose. Maybe he should have listened to his parents and picked a subject that would earn him good money instead of forcing himself through the oldest literature materials available.

He looked up at the arched ceiling and sighed before looking down to continue reading. In the process of looking down, however, he spotted a mop of messy red hair that seemed vaguely familiar. He groaned when the owner of said red hair turned and he recognised the face.

The girl they had saved the previous night. Just what he needed after a night of Chris berating him for his hands-off approach in dealing with Matthew's blood thirst.

Dominic looked down and pushed the books together, shoving his pencils and spiral notebook into his messenger bag without paying any attention to order. All that mattered was getting out without her noticing and recognising him.

When he looked up again, his eyes met hers and he noticed the spark of recognition. Dominic sighed and fell back into the seat just as she started to approach. She stopped in front of him and offered a smile that faltered somewhat when Dominic did nothing but stare back at her.

“Hey,” she greeted him.

Dominic just remained staring, hoping the year he had spent in Matthew and Chris' vicinity had taught him how to glare efficiently. But even Keanu was better than Dominic at staring down someone.

“I'm Aurelia Taylor.”

Dominic sighed. Sometimes he wished he could borrow some of Matthew's arrogance. “Dominic Howard,” he answered and pointed at the seat next to him.

She smiled again and sat down, her eyes moving to the books in Dominic‘s lap that he hadn‘t managed to shove into his bag yet. “Oh, Beowulf! It seems we've picked the same seminar.”

Dominic glanced down and sighed again. Just his luck. It wasn't that he didn't care for friends. Actually, he missed just hanging out with people, going to the cinemas, passing the nights in clubs and bars. But with Matthew being in his vicinity pretty much 24/7, maintaining friendships had become hard. After a few near-fatal incidents, Dominic had come to the conclusion it was better to stick to vampire, hunter and dog as his closest friends group.

“What do you want?” he grunted.

“I'd like to thank you for…”

“Don't misinterpret his actions,” Dominic disrupted her. “He doesn't care for anyone. And he certainly didn't interfere to save you.”

Aurelia frowned and cocked her head at Dominic. “Shouldn't I be grateful nevertheless?”

Dominic shook his head. “Don't be. Not towards Matthew.”

She sighed and slumped back against the backrest of her chair. “So why _did_ he save me?”

“You've seen what he is,” Dominic answered. “He was hungry, that's all. He craved fresh blood and he found a situation where I couldn't possibly forbid him from drinking from someone alive.”

“He listens to what you say? What are you? His vampire master?”

“Something like that…”

 

_  
Matthew returned on the following nights. He still kept his routine of following the boy from university, hunting down someone to quickly nourish on and then knocking on Dominic's window. After a week, Dominic had grown into the habit of leaving the window open so Matthew could let himself in, while Dominic was dining with his parents and sister._

_After a few sleepless nights in Matthew's presence, Dominic now fell asleep pretty quickly. Something that, occasionally, was rewarded with a sneer by Matthew, as he sat by the boy's bedside. He couldn't decide what was more stupid, the simple act of falling asleep with a monster in the room or trusting said monster not to rip out his intestines and strangle him in his sleep._

_Matthew also found himself being used as a tutor when it came to all things that could be labelled as Middle English as soon as Dominic had learned his approximate age of 600 years._

_Matthew huffed and gnawed on his thumb. He felt weak tonight, which was not a wonder. He hadn't found someone to feast on this particular night, as his priorities had shifted to turning up in time at Dominic's window. It had also been the first night that he hadn't followed the boy home from university, too busy trying to lure an unsuspecting victim. Alas, he had noticed the presence of a hunter in his usual hunting grounds, the smell of holy water and silver powder sprinkled in his usual lurking places a tell tale sign. He would have to change his hunting grounds soon._

_Matthew sighed. During the previous nights, he had only feasted on one human each. That was far from enough to keep him satiated and strong enough for more than one night. He needed to take care of himself again, especially with a hunter sniffing around in his territory._

_“You don't look well tonight,” Dominic stated._

_Matthew looked up at the boy. He frowned. Was the boy concerned about him? “I don't need your sympathy!” he hissed._

_“Well, what else is it you need?”_

_Matthew opened his mouth to snap at Dominic, but he couldn't think of anything. He closed his mouth again and growled through clenched teeth. “I need to kill you,” he eventually growled._

_“Why haven't you done so already?”_

_Matthew narrowed his eyes at the boy._ How dare he talk to Matthew like that? _“We can put this nuisance right this very moment,” he snarled and moved, pushing Dominic against the wall next to the window within a moment. He tightened his hand around Dominic's throat, dragging his nose over the warm skin and smelling the fresh blood running through the veins._

_Matthew opened his mouth, teeth already scraping against the boy's skin. He just needed to move his jaws a fraction, he had done so all his life, never with so much as a second's hesitation._

_“Matthew?” Dominic croaked._

_“I…” Matthew whispered. “I cannot…” He let go of Dominic and stumbled backwards. “I cannot. Why?” He looked up at Dominic again, who was rubbing his throat and was looking at him with what seemed like a strange mixture of fear and sympathy. “What have you done to me?” Matthew roared._

_Dominic shook his head. “Nothing.” He took a step towards Matthew, one hand outstretched. “I've done nothing.” The outstretched hand touched Matthew's shoulder, causing him to jolt back from the touch. He couldn't allow the human to touch him._

_“I'm sorry.”_

_Matthew looked up at the boy and shook his head. Why would the boy be sorry? Matthew had been the one who had tried to kill him, so why should Dominic feel any sympathy towards a vampire?_

_“What becomes of me?” he muttered. “What am I turning into?”_

_At some nights, when he sat and watched Dominic sleep, the urge to take the human grew almost too strong to resist. He wanted to make the boy his and his alone. Never should Dominic look at someone else but Matthew again, never should Dominic even think about someone else again._

_But as soon as Matthew had stood next to the bed, bent over the sleeping boy and inhaling the scent, the nausea returned. Matthew was too viscous, too maleficent to be able to care for someone. If he took the boy, he would break him. And that was something Matthew could never allow. No one would ever be allowed to break Dominic, not even Matthew himself._

_Eventually, even those urges had vanished and left only the desire to be in Dominic's presence behind. It was nothing short of terrifying. Even Matthew's craving for blood had lessened. All he pined for now was a small word of praise or appreciation from the boy._

_The realisation had startled Matthew and kept him awake for a day, sitting crouched beneath an old staircase in the house he had chosen as his hideaway. He had decided to stay away from the boy, even knowing that he would return, right on time, as he had done each night before. The proud Matthew Bellamy had lost the fight against the growing obsession._

_And thus he had turned up at Dominic's window once again. This night though, he found the window closed and the room empty._

_Matthew sat perched on the small window sill, the claws of his hands digging into the stone. Where was Dominic? Matthew was sure Dominic would have told him if he planned to stay longer at university. He'd also have told Matthew if he had anything planned with friends or family. Or would he? Would he tell Matthew?_

_Matthew turned his head and squinted into the room. He pressed his ear against the cold window. Faint sounds could be distinguished from inside. He could make out the voices of Dominic's parents and sister; their words didn't filter through the glass, though._

_Matthew growled and pushed himself off the window sill. He had followed Dominic home from university for weeks, tracing the way back was his best shot at finding the boy._

_He rushed through the streets that had grown familiar over the previous months, pausing every now and then to listen and sniff the air. He had almost reached the station when he noticed Dominic's fragrance. He sniffed and frowned. Another, not less familiar fragrance mingled with Dominic's._

_Growling, Matthew turned into the alleyway and moved into the shadow of a house to observe the scene unfolding before him. Dominic was backed against the wall of a house, a tall man dressed in a long coat grabbing Dominic's jaw tightly while a black dog stood next to them._

_“Wolstenholme,” Matthew growled and slowly crept nearer. “Bloody hunter vermin.” He bit his lips. Stupid him. That wretched dog could easily hear him if he wasn't absolutely silent._

_“No extended canines,” Wolstenholme just growled and released Dominic's jaw. “You really aren't a vampire.”_

_Matthew saw Dominic trying to jerk away, but one of Wolstenholme's hands was still fisted in Dominic's hair._

_“He still reeks of vampire,” the dog growled._

_Dominic stared at the dog and lifted his hand. “He talks. This dog talks.”_

_“Who is it?” Wolstenholme hissed, ignoring Dominic's reaction to the dog._

_Matthew's fist tightened. Dominic would reveal his name, there was no doubt. No one would cover for a vampire, even if said vampire had saved one's live. It was only to be expected. Matthew wouldn't act any different were he in this position. Still, the expectation of hearing his name now made him sink further into the shadows._

_“Tell me who the vampire is,” Wolstenholme repeated._

_Matthew hissed softlyas he observed Dominic staring at the hunter. He could smell the boy's fear, and nothing made humans talk like a bit of well-placed fear. First they would tell you the truth, then they'd tell you anything you wanted to hear._

_Matthew snarled, biting his lips just in time to prevent any sound. He was annoyed about the imminent betrayal, but even more about the fact that he suddenly cared about loyalty. Even the usual euphoria of smelling human fear was missing. Instead he once again felt the urge to rush to the boy's help, no matter whether the boy betrayed him or not._

_“There are no bloody vampires, you fucking freak,” Dominic shouted and kicked at Wolstenholme's shins. The hunter groaned and let go of Dominic long enough for the boy to run a few metres. He stopped dead however when the dog jumped in front of him. Dominic stared at the bared teeth, the canines easily as long as his index finger._

_He walked backwards, right into Wolstenholme's arms again._

_“Let me go,” Dominic pleaded weakly as Wolstenholme pushed him back into the wall. Matthew growled. He felt his fingers stretch, the tips hardening into claws._

_Matthew shook his head. He had killed another vampire for the boy. He couldn't just rush forward and kill a hunter, a Wolstenholme nonetheless, for this little human. He had planned to stay off that bloody family's radar for at least another generation._

_“Tell me the bloody vampire's name!” Wolstenholme shouted._

_“Bloody hell,” Matthew hissed and pushed himself from the wall into the light of the street light. “Leave him alone. I am the vampire he smells of.”_

_Wolstenholme turned around to stare at Matthew. His face moved from shock to disbelieve to utter disgust within a split second. “Matthew Bellamy,” Wolstenholme spat. He let go of Dominic to reach inside his coat. When his hand emerged it held the staked gun that Matthew had escaped from several times before._

_“Christopher Wolstenholme,” Matthew returned the greeting in kind. He glanced at the dog who was growling at him with raised hackles. That barghest could rip his carotid out without stretching much if he wasn't careful. “And loyal Keanu,” Matthew sneered._

_“I heard rumours you were back in the city,” Wolstenholme stated._

_Matthew dipped his head. “They seem to be true.”_

_Wolstenholme's lips twitched into a grimace. “Get him.”_

_Keanu crept forward, giving Matthew the options of either backing away or circling the dog. Circling was out of question though, since that would drive him right towards Wolstenholme. Backing away also wasn't an option because that would drive Matthew further away from Dominic, and with that, further away from any influence on whatever happened to the boy._

_Matthew cast a quick glance in Dominic's direction. The boy was staring at Matthew's hands._

_Matthew frowned and flexed his fingers. He couldn't decipher the look on Dominic's face. Was it fascination or disgust? He made to take a step backwards just when a black blur moved towards him. Matthew tried to avoid the collision by jumping back, but he was too slow._

_Keanu had used the short distraction to attack and Matthew stumbled backwards, crashing to the ground by the sheer weight of the beast._

_Matthew felt the huge paws on his shoulders, pressing him to the ground, and the stench of dog breath filled his nostrils. He lifted his claw to press it against Keanu's throat, just when he noticed movement in the corner of his eye. He looked sideways to see Dominic had moved from his spot. The boy paused in what must have been an escape attempt when he noticed Matthew's eyes on him, his face a grimace of terror. Matthew faltered. He couldn't tear someone apart in front of Dominic and change the way the boy saw him forever. He_ needed _Dominic to admire him. The thought of rejection of any kind caused physical pain and made him retch._

_He let his hand fall to the ground again just as Keanu shifted, his teeth grating against Matthew's throat and Wolstenholme's staked gun pressing against his still heart._

_“Seems like that's it,” Wolstenholme sneered. “There's only one way you could save yourself now, but you won't go that way will you?”_

_A hand grabbed Matthew's hair and yanked his head back, exposing his neck further to Keanu's teeth. Matthew growled, his claws twitching._

_“You'd rather die than become a bloody pet vampire,” Wolstenholme continued and pressed the gun harder against Matthew's chest._

_“No!” Dominic's voice sounded just a second before Matthew pressed his legs beneath Keanu's belly. He pushed the dog against Wolstenholme, using the leverage to push himself backwards and away from the staked gun._

_“I surrender,” Matthew said once he stood again. He lifted his hand and pointed at Dominic. “I surrender to him. It will be Dominic Howard who decides over me.”_

_“What?” Wolstenholme asked, but Matthew ignored him. What the hunter did or thought of his announcement wasn't of relevance. He stared at Dominic, because the boy's reaction was the only one that counted._

_Dominic stared back at Matthew, forehead creased into a frown. Matthew swallowed. All he could see in Dominic's face was confusion and fear. Maybe he had made the wrong decision? But he couldn't retreat any more. The question couldn't be made unasked._

_“It's a trick,” Keanu growled and crept closer to Matthew again._

_Matthew rolled his eyes at the dog before returning his attention to Dominic. “Will you be my master, Dominic Howard?”_

_“What are you playing at?” Wolstenholme growled. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Matthew's hair to pull his head back._

_“You know me, Wolstenholme,” Matthew growled, allowing the hunter to pull his head even further back. “I would never ask this question if I was not serious about it.”_

_“No, you would never ask this question at all,” Wolstenholme snarled. “You would kill anyone who dared to even hint at such a suggestion.“_

_Something hard collided with Wolstenholme's arm, bouncing off and against Matthew's side before it fell to the ground. Hunter and vampire stared at the stone for a second before looking up at the boy who had thrown it._

_“Let him go,” Dominic growled._

_Matthew grinned widely. Childish and useless as throwing the little stone might have been, he couldn't help but appreciate the gesture._

_Growling, Wolstenholme swivelled around and pushed Matthew towards Dominic. “Look at him,” Wolstenholme snarled. “He's a monster. Look at his hands, do you know how many humans he's torn apart with those? Have you seen his teeth? Has he mentioned how many humans he's killed with those?”_

_Matthew froze, staring at Dominic. The boy 's eyes were fixated on Matthew's hands that were still long claws. “Shut up,” he whispered._

_“Do you think he even remembers how many people he killed?” Wolstenholme continued. “Do you think he's only killed to survive, Dominic? Did you know that this monster kills just for the thrill of feeling something die?”_

_“I said shut up!” Matthew roared and swivelled around, ready to attack. He was met with a gun pointed right at his face, loaded with a silver stake. Even he wouldn't be able to dodge it. And even if he managed to do so by sheer luck, the stake would most likely hit Dominic instead._

_“Want to deny your true nature, Matthew?” Wolstenholme asked coldly._

_Matthew growled and flexed his claws. “You cannot kill me. I am not fair game any more.”_

_“You still are,” Wolstenholme retorted. “He hasn't accepted you yet as his pet.”_

_“Would someone be so kind to explain what the hell you're on about with this whole master and pet gibberish?” Dominic made himself heard. “Or do I have to toss more stones at you?”_

_Wolstenholme rolled his eyes and moved sideways to look at Dominic, but Matthew moved with him, keeping himself right between the hunter and Dominic. “Our proud Matthew Bellamy here wants to become a little pet vampire all of a sudden,” Wolstenholme answered._

_“That is not an explanation,” Dominic hissed. “You know, there are people who're not part of your mad little world and don't know everything about vampires and madmen hunting vampires.”_

_Wolstenholme huffed and raised an eyebrow at Matthew. “Well, my precious, little pet-to-be, don't you want to explain the relationship between a master and a pet vampire?”_

_Matthew bared his teeth at the hunter and took a step backwards. He turned his head until he could keep both Dominic and Wolstenholme in his sight. “Some centuries ago, a hunter had the amazing idea to spare a vampire's life if the vampire agreed to become the hunter's servant._

_“The vampire had to adhere to any order the hunter gave, doing chores, hunting his own kind, standing in broad daylight. Whatever the hunter said, it was commandment for the vampire,” Matthew explained. He moved with Wolstenholme, always taking care he was between the bloody hunter and Dominic. “It became somewhat established, even if rare, for vampires to hand themselves over to hunters in return for protection from other hunters.”_

_“In short, you'd be responsible for Bellamy. You would dictate his actions and decisions, but if you're not careful and he goes on a killing spree, you'll be responsible for whomever he's killed,” Keanu said._

_Matthew glanced at the barghest. The damn dog was watching him with those huge amber saucers of eyes as if he could easily read the vampire. Matthew bared his teeth at him._

_“Matthew would be my…”_

_“Your property,” Wolstenholme answered._

_“I still don't understand,” Dominic said. “I can't…”_

_Matthew exhaled, feeling his knees going cold and weak, his legs shaking. He took a weak step backwards and only just managed to catch himself from falling. He turned to Dominic, staring at the boy and trying to collect the words to plead. Dominic couldn't turn him down, could he?_

_“I can't decide now,” Dominic continued. He offered a weak smile to Matthew. “It's too much, I need time.” He looked at Wolstenholme. “I can't decide about someone else just like that within a few minutes.”_

_“He's a monster, spare your sympathy for someone who appreciates it,” Wolstenholme snarled. “Just refuse him and let me finish this vermin off.”_

_“No,” Dominic growled. “I won't decide now. It's not just Matthew's life that's affected by his proposal or my decision.”_

_“Fine. Fair enough,” Wolstenholme eventually answered after staring at Dominic. “You've got one night. And you're staying at my house.”_

_“What?” Dominic asked. He shook his head. ”I don't even know you. All I know about you is, that you just attacked me, you've got weapons and you want to kill Matthew. I would rather_ not _stay the night at your house.”_

_“Tough,” Wolstenholme retorted. He finally let his gun sink downwards and took a step back from Matthew. “You're not wandering off with this vampire either. He's a menace and I'm not leaving him in the hands of an inexperienced boy.”_

_“I don't think you've got much to fear, boy,” Keanu said. He stretched and yawned before scratching his right ear with his paw. Matthew wrinkled his nose at the show, but Keanu just ignored him. “There's a bloody vampire willing to fight teeth and claw over your well-being.”_

_Matthew looked back at Dominic, meeting the boy's eyes. He nodded._

_“Fine,” Dominic sighed and reached into the pocket of his jacket. “Just let me call Mum before she mobilises the whole city to search for me.”  
_

 

“So, it's true what they say, you've got a _vampire_?”

Dominic looked up and sighed. “Elias,” he greeted the boy who leered above him. “Isn't there someone else you could pester with your unsolicited presence?”

Elias sneered and leant forward, his face coming far too close into Dominic's personal space. Dominic crinkled his nose and pulled back.

“You're freaks, that's what you are, you and that _vampire_.” He turned to Aurelia, pointing at Dominic. “Has he told you that his boyfriend is a vampire?”

“Matthew is not my boyfriend,” Dominic objected.

Elias scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Father told me they had someone hospitalised again last night. Babbling about some tiny, black-haired guy sucking his blood after he had apparently stabbed him. His companions fled when the freak started suckling on the poor man's neck.”

Aurelia pressed her lips together in a straight line and glanced at Dominic as if to ask for a sign indicating how she should answer. “I know,” she eventually grunted. “I was there.”

Elias blinked, lost for words for a moment. Obviously, this was not among the answers he'd anticipated. Dominic bit his lips trying not to grin.

“Idiots!” Elias sneered., “There are no such things as vampires, you're all just crackpots and deluded nitwits, all three of you.”

“You’d better watch your mouth,” Dominic growled.

Elias huffed and straightened, building himself up to his full, bulky height. “Why should I?”

“Because it is a cloudy day and we are inside a building with hardly any windows,” a familiar voice drawled from behind Elias, the venom hidden in the tone something that Dominic had grown used to rather fast during this previous year. “And I hath just heard thou insulting me,” Matthew continued as Elias swivelled around. “Worse even, thou hast insulted Dominic.”

“Matthew,” Dominic sighed. He rolled his eyes at the vampire's attire. Hair sculptured into a carefully spiky mess, black and white tailcoat that gave him the resemblance of a penguin, triangular red and black sunglasses, white braces hanging down over black trousers and a red shirt. “How many hours have you spent in front of the mirror this morning?”

Matthew shrugged and sat down on the last remaining chair next Dominic. “It was just one hour.”

“See? You are not a vampire!” Elias sneered. He leant down to wave his index finger in Matthew's face. “Vampires can't see themselves in a mirror.”

Matthew pulled his head back and scrunched his nose at the intruding finger, pulling up the left side of his upper lip in a show of disgust and revealing one of his fangs. “Thou art in a library, kindly keep thine gob shut,” he hissed. He turned his head towards Dominic and frowned when he noticed the girl sitting in the other chair. “Are you stalking us?”

Aurelia swallowed and glance at Dominic before returning her attention to Matthew. “I…”

“We met by chance,” Dominic explained. “Don't be silly, Matthew.”

Matthew looked back at Aurelia, the left corner of his mouth twitching. “Fine…” he eventually growled and reclined into the backrest of his chair. His eyes fell on Elias, who still stood before him. With a growl, he lifted his head further to glare at Elias, a silver hue tainting his irises. “Thou hast better disappearest into thin air unless thou desirest losing an arm.”

Dominic glanced down to look at Matthew's hands. His fingers were moving, opening and closing in movements that reminded him of the claws of a bird. Dominic could only guess at the amount of self-control Matthew had to exercise this very moment to not kill the sources of annoyance around him.

Sighing, Dominic pulled the last book from beneath the pile in his lap and shoved it into Matthew's hands.

“Fine, now that we've settled this dispute,” he announced, “could I please continue preparing for my next lecture?”

Matthew snarled at Elias before opening the book in his hands and immersing himself in it. “I need to participate in more of your lectures,” he said. “It is always so amusing to hear them struggling with dead languages.”

Dominic laughed. “Even you aren't old enough to judge the mis-pronounciations of Old English.”

 

_  
Matthew stood in the run-down garden of the Wolstenholme estate and watched the windows. He knew that the old sleeping rooms, now guest rooms, were on the side of the house facing away from the street. His eyes took in the old façade. He still remembered the now grey walls shining in a light brown. About two hundred years ago, the ivy had been kept away and the lawn had been taken care of by a young gardener._

_Matthew smirked at the memory. Oh, that gardener had tasted so sweet, his pleas to have mercy on the poor man and his fiancé making the meal so much more enjoyable._

_The Wolstenholme family hadn't bothered getting any new staff after that incident. To Matthew's dismay, they had also sacked all the remaining staff. For a few days, Matthew had pondered to himself whether he should down track the former Wolstenholme staff nevertheless and deliver various pieces of their bloodless corpses to the mansion._

_He had decided against, though, deeming it wiser to keep a low profile for a generation or two. When he returned to see what had become of his favourite enemy, the ivy had already started to grow and the garden was overrun with weeds and curious herbs, charms and spells in place to keep any unwanted guest out._

_Matthew shook his head, wondering if one day, he should advise a Wolstenholme to do something about the ivy if they wanted to keep their masonry intact. But then, he didn't even know what this night still held for him._

_He noticed the light in the kitchen had gone off, so he directed his attention to the guest rooms. He sneered, if Wolstenholme thought that he,_ Matthew Bellamy _, would stay in the bloody basement, the bloody hunter could bloody well think again._

_Eventually, the lights in the guest room furthest left went on. Matthew smiled._

_He walked over to stand in front of the window and pushed himself off the ground, gashing his claws into the masonry half-way. Pulling himself higher, pushed off the wall and managed to grab the window sill and pulled himself onto it. He knocked on the window, smiling when it gave way._

_“Come in, I've already opened the window for you,” Dominic announced. He was just shaking a duvet in order to get the clean bed linen over it. “Didn't expect you to be staying in any cellar.”_

_“You already know me too well,” Matthew stated._

_Dominic turned around and grinned. He tossed the duvet towards Matthew who caught it easily. “Could you button it up, please?”_

_Matthew nodded and turned the duvet around until he had found the buttons. He quickly buttoned them up while Dominic busied himself with the other bed sheets. Once done, Matthew held the duvet out, waiting for Dominic to take it._

_“Thanks,” Dominic smiled and thrust the duvet onto the bed._

_Matthew nodded, feeling his cheeks warming at the small sign of praise. He watched Dominic leave the room with the announcement that he would return soon and leant against the wall next to the window. The nights were getting shorter at this time of the year. Early summer…_

_Matthew didn't like the summer, even though finding food was rather easy during this particular season. Humans stayed outside longer, wearing less clothes which made ripping their throats open easier. Still, summer was too warm for Matthew's liking. And while humans lapped up the longer days, basking in the sun, Matthew was forced to stay indoors and wait for dusk to settle around him, even as life buzzed and tempted him to hunt and drink._

_The door clicked and Matthew turned to greet Dominic. He swallowed when he saw the blond human in just boxer shorts and his shirt. The hem of the shirt riding up to reveal a sliver of skin when Dominic scratched the back of his head._

_“Tired,” Dominic mumbled. “It was a mad night so far.”_

_Matthew nodded. The night wasn't over yet, where Matthew was concerned. He still wanted his answer from Dominic. The sooner the better. Maybe he really should find the words to beg for the first time in his life._

_“Maybe you should sleep,” he offered instead._

_Dominic nodded and crawled beneath the blanket and curled up, closing his eyes. Matthew stood beside Dominic's bed and stared down, wondering if it was okay to follow his impulse. But then, this was the last night he would be able to reach any decision on his own, so what was there to lose?_

_He shrugged out of his coat and hung it over the backrest of the only chair in this room, before crawling beneath the blanket. He shifted closer to Dominic, resting his head against Dominic's back and waiting for a reaction._

_Matthew felt Dominic tense, his own weak heart beat and breathing stopping while he waited to be kicked out of bed. Instead, Dominic slowly relaxed and turned around._

_“Never had you down as a cuddler,” he stated._

_Matthew shrugged. “I am no cuddler.”_

_“Clearly.”_

_Matthew huffed at the teasing tone in Dominic's voice. Even now it surprised him that he didn't want to rip the human's heart out for talking to him like that. Instead he just accepted the teasing, even noticing a strange, comfortable feeling. They lay in silence, while Matthew rested his head against Dominic's chest._

_He listened to the heartbeats pounding a steady rhythm while Dominic's smell surrounded him. Matthew hadn't been this close to Dominic before, he realised. It was over-whelming how his whole world shrunk down to feeling, hearing and smelling just one person while everything else lost it's importance._

_He was glad he only experienced this now, when he had come to terms with his obsession for the human. Had he experienced this closeness earlier, Matthew was sure he'd have torn Dominic apart in a bout of panic. Now he just felt tranquil._

_“Matthew?” Dominic asked after a while. “Can I ask you a question?”_

_Matthew pouted and nodded. Silly boy, asking permission when he could already_ own _Matthew. “Of course,” he answered._

_“Who was your Lord? The one who turned you into a vampire?”_

_Matthew looked up. When was the last time he had actually heard that question? The hunters, vampires and other entities he encountered knew, and any other human used the little time left trying to escape their imminent death by Matthew‘s hands._

_“I was not turned,” he answered. “I was born a vampire.”_

_“Does that happen often?”_

_Matthew chuckled. “No, I am the only born vampire known.” He looked up at Dominic and shrugged. “I know not how that came to be. I grew up until I was in my mid-twenties and then just stopped getting older.”_

_Matthew rested his head against Dominic's chest again, listening to the heartbeats. There was another soft sound, infinitely smaller than the heartbeats. Matthew closed his eyes, concentrating on the weak sound. Blood, it was Dominic's blood running through his veins._

_“Matthew?”_

_Matthew hummed without opening his eyes, hoping it would be encouragement enough for Dominic to continue._

_“This master thing…” Dominic started and trailed of. Matthew felt him moving and opened his eyes to see Dominic waving his hand as if he was trying to pick the words. “You would do whatever I told you?”_

_Matthew nodded. “I would not have any choice but to.”_

_“And I'd be held responsible for whatever you do.”_

_Matthew nodded again. “I will be good,” he promised. “I will cause you no trouble. If you want me to, I will live on animal blood.”_

_Dominic looked down at him, forehead crinkled in a frown. “Is animal blood so much different than human blood?”_

_Matthew looked down and nodded. “It is disgusting,” he mumbled._

_“Then why do you want to become mine?” Dominic asked. “Why would you sacrifice everything you are?”_

_“I… I cannot tell you a reason,” Matthew admitted. He kept his eyes trained on Dominic's chest. Whatever he would see when he looked up, he was sure it wouldn't be something Matthew wanted to see. Dominic was unwilling to accept him, so much was clear to Matthew._

_“You want me to take responsibility for you without even knowing why?”_

_Matthew shrugged, still refusing to raise his eyes from Dominic's chest. “Only a few weeks ago, I would rather be killed than consider becoming someone's pet.”_

_“What changed?” Dominic asked. “Matthew, look at me.”_

_Matthew swallowed and raised his head to look at Dominic. There was still a frown crinkling the human forehead, but Matthew couldn't decipher which emotion caused it. He had never bothered deciphering human emotions apart from fear, so now he felt lost._

_“Isn't this step a bit too extreme to save your live?”_

_Matthew shook his head. “It is not about just saving my life. I could have killed them and saved myself easily. I want to bind myself to you for the rest of our lives.”_

_A sigh. “Why do you want to do that?”_

_Matthew looked down and shrugged again. “I know not. I… I just want to.” He looked up again, remembering the earlier order to look at Dominic. “Will you accept me? … Please?”_

_Dominic sighed again, the sound instilling an urge to betake himself to flight in Matthew. “What happens if I don't want to, well,_ own _you?”_

_“You will not see me again,” Matthew answered. His voice sounded strangled even to his own ears._

_Dominic looked up at the ceiling, sighing again. “I don't like the idea of actually owning someone,” he said and looked back at Matthew. “You're more than just an animal or a mere thing.”_

_Matthew snorted. “I ceased being more than a tool to be used the moment I asked you. I am completely worthless both in the eyes of hunters and vampires now.”_

_“I still can't wrap my mind around why you would want that. You're… you're proud, powerful; you could tear apart anyone. You're near invincible. Why become the possession of a human boy?”_

_“Because I have no other choice.”_

_“You've always got a choice. We could find a way even with you keeping your freedom.”_

_Matthew sighed and shook his head. It was almost cute how the boy tried to find alternatives to Matthew's proposal. “It matters not what I do; or what I decide. I am trapped either way.”_

_It was true. Even if Dominic turned him down, Matthew would spend his nights following Dominic from a distance and keeping him safe. He would never be the same, proud vampire again, but he would always follow the boy._

_They remained silent for a while, Dominic's hand somehow ending up on Matthew's shoulder. Matthew had to concentrate on breathing steadily, forcing himself to not react to the warmth of Dominic's hand. Maybe Dominic would remove it, if he noticed where that hand was resting, and Matthew was loath to lose any physical contact._

_“This hunter didn't seem very happy about you asking me,” Dominic spoke after a while. “He talked to me in the kitchen once we arrived. Wolstenholme doesn't want me to… well, accept you as mine.”_

_“Of course not,” Matthew snarled. “Unlike most hunters, Christopher Wolstenholme would never make the mistake of wanting me as a pet, no matter if in his or any other's hands. He just wants me dead.”_

_“Something you've done?”_

_Matthew nodded. He felt his chances of Dominic ever accepting him slipping away again. Why should the boy accept being followed around all his life by a monster? “This century-old feud has become quite personal to him a few years ago.”_

_Matthew stared at Dominic. Would he ask for details? If so, Matthew was doomed, he was sure of that. So far, Dominic had only seen Matthew killing another vampire and defending himself. He hadn't seen Matthew killing humans yet, nor had Dominic asked about how Matthew hunted._

_“You are a monster,” Dominic stated. “I should not make the mistake of ignoring that you're a highly efficient predator above all.”_

_Matthew sat up and stared down at Dominic. “I can be…”_

_Dominic shook his head. “No, you'll always be predator there's no changing that. But you will be my monster.”_

_“No, please… I…” Matthew blinked as his brain caught up with Dominic's last sentence. “Your monster?”_

_Dominic nodded. He grinned up at Matthew, without a doubt amused about the sheepish impression Matthew must have been sporting. “I'll do it. I'll be your master.”_

_Matthew blinked again. After being torn between dread and feeble hope for the last few hours, the relief hadn’t quite settled in yet. “I will be yours,” he ground out between giggles. He paused, the sound of his own giggles so foreign to him._

_He let himself fall back to the bed, giggling once again. Without thinking, he stretched and pressed his lips against Dominic's for the briefest of moments. “Thank you,” he whispered.  
_

 

Dominic glanced sideways at the vampire who had fallen asleep with his head resting against Dominic's shoulder. Even though Matthew had mostly adopted Dominic's day to day routines, the vampire was still quite sleepy during day time.

Dominic closed his book and poked it against Matthew's ribs. Elias and Aurelia had left some time ago, leaving Dominic to study in silence.

Matthew grunted and shifted, refusing to open his eyes.

“Why don't you go home and go to sleep, like any other vampire?” Dominic asked and delivered another poke.

Grunting, Matthew straightened and brushed a few crinkles out of his coat. “You will call me if you need me?”

Dominic nodded. “Of course.”

Yawning, Matthew nodded and disappeared.

Dominic remained seated for a moment, staring at the point Matthew had been sitting a few seconds before. He had to admit, Matthew's skill at randomly appearing and disappearing had been somewhat unsettling at first. It had come in quite handy a few times, though, and during the last year, Dominic had got used to it.

One night, Matthew had explained to him that since the moment Dominic had accepted him this skill was restricted. He used to be able to appear and disappear anywhere as long as he knew the location he wanted to go to. But since that first night at Chris’ house he could appear only at Dominic's side or in places Dominic specified.

Dividing his books in two piles – to be put back and to be taken home – Dominic pondered about the short stillness in Matthew's movements before disappearing. Sometimes, the vampire would stall and look at Dominic in a way that made him wonder if Matthew would kiss him any moment now.

But the only moment akin to a kiss they'd ever shared had been the chaste contact during that first night at Chris's house. Dominic still wondered what exactly Matthew had meant when he had referred to himself as trapped. He could never bring himself to ask, though.

Somehow, Dominic had the impression that Matthew would be loathed to talk about it. Whenever the topic drifted towards the reasons for Matthew becoming Dominic's, the vampire would become elusive, quickly changing the topic. Dominic had also never dared to ask Matthew what he would have done had Dominic rejected him that night. He doubted, though, that the vampire would have seen the following dusk.

He quickly returned the books and walked to the counter to borrow two books on Old English and Beowulf and left the library. He checked his watch. He still had about another hour until his next lecture.

When he looked up again, he noticed Aurelia standing in front of him. She smiled. “I'm done for today. You fancy a trip to the cafeteria?”

Dominic shrugged and smiled back. “Yeah, sure.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how I will update here, mainly because of aformentioned re-writes that might or might not happen. While I figure that out, you can catch up on my boys here: http://captus-est.livejournal.com


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